Efforts to provide “reliable energy for all” are making little progress in Africa, a new Afrobarometer analysis shows.

Expansion of the electric grid appears to have stalled in most surveyed countries, and only about four in 10 African households enjoy a reliable supply of electricity, a marginal improvement from survey findings three years previously.

Findings from national surveys in 34 African countries are detailed in Afrobarometer’s new Pan-Africa Profile on electricity, released today. The analysis shows that stark differences in access and reliable supply remain between countries, and rural residents and the poor are still at a great disadvantage when it comes to lights and power. This may explain why fewer than half of Africans think their government is doing a good job when it comes to providing a reliable supply of electricity.